Lost Brother
by batman-defeats-all
Summary: Nightwing thinks about the one who came directly after him, and how he lost his little brother. One-shot


**Oh man... That episode. I swear, as soon as they said 'Nightwing', I fangirl squealed. I know people are worried about the missing members, but I'm sure it will all be explained. In the meantime, enjoy Nightwing. And Tim.**

**And an obvious reference to Jason. Really, 'Don't die'? Obviously there is a reason behind saying that. They both looked too sad for anything else.  
**

**I do not own Young Justice. That should be obvious, since I did not see this season coming at _all_.  
**

As Tim walked away, Dick couldn't help but sigh to himself.

He had told the boy to be careful, to not take risks, to _not die_. Partially because Bruce would be furious if the bird got seriously injured.

However, he also told him partially because Dick himself could not handle losing another little brother. He was sure Bruce could not handle losing another son.

Part of the hero told himself that Tim was nothing like... _he_ was. That Tim was not nearly as snarky, or independent, or disrespectful...

Every time he tried to keep that in mind, a broken body wearing a bloodied and torn Robin costume appeared in his thoughts.

As Dick headed towards sphere to go out on his mission with Wonder Girl, he shook his head in an attempt to banish the memories.

However, by the time he had sat down and they were driving towards the target, the memories he was holding back came towards him in a rushing flood, engulfing him in the same pain and misery he had felt those short months ago.

_Dick Grayson, age 16, walked into the manor that he recently left slowly. Only a month ago he had adopted the persona of Nightwing, and had already heard rumors in Bludhaven of something big going on in Gotham._

_ Something big meaning a new Robin._

_ At first, he did not believe what he heard. It was hard to get Bruce to let him be Robin, surely he would not accept a second._

_ Then he saw the photos gathered by news reporters of the teenager in Dick's own costume. Despite the older teen's best efforts, his blood couldn't help but boil at the sight of the cheeky smirk on the "Robin"'s face._

_ It was time to get answers about this replacement. Why Bruce is letting another kid into the dark world of crime-fighting, why he did it so soon after Dick had left, and most of all... Why he had replaced Dick in the first place._

_ It was then, his feet stomping and his crystal blue eyes narrowed in anger, that the boy in question appeared in front of Dick._

_ The teen was holding a cookie, one of Alfred's no doubt, to his mouth, a mischievous look in his light blue eyes, when he suddenly stopped short. He started staring at Dick, the cookie still halfway to his mouth, his foot in the air from when he was about to take his next step._

_ The two birds stood like that, staring at each other, for a good twenty minutes before Bruce came in and saw the two. _

_ "Dick. I... see you've met Jason."_

_ He then proceeded to snatch the cookie from the hand of the boy, now known as Jason._

_ "No sugar before dinner, Jason. It gets you too hyper."_

_ As the young bird scowled, broken from his daze, Dick couldn't help but laugh._

_ "You too? I was never allowed any sugar before dinner, and I even only got some afterward if I was lucky."_

_ Jason, his composure completely restored, slouched slightly before answering in a slight drawl._

_ "So you're Saint Dick? How'd you get Bruce to let you leave when you were still in school?"_

_ "I graduated early. So you're name's Jason? How old are you, Jaybird?"_

_ A deep scowl formed on the younger boy's face._

_ "13, and __**don't**__ call me 'Jaybird'. It is really annoying."_

_ Bruce watched, slightly confused and relieved at the same time, as the two boys talked. He'd expected Dick to yell at him for hours and for him and Jason to hate each other for years._

_ It looked like that would not quite be the case._

Nightwing shook his head again. As he did so, images of the boy he knew as his little brother were quickly replaced by the boy's broken body, blood seeping through his costume...

_"What do you mean he's dead?"_

_ Bruce lowered his head sadly._

_ "I couldn't get to him quickly enough. The Joker... killed him."_

_ Dick backed up at the man's words, his eyes widening behind his mask._

_ "W-why didn't you call me? I could have helped, we could have found him before it was too late..."_

_ The Bat's fierce voice soon interrupted his son's frantic words._

_ "No, Nightwing. We were in a different country; nothing you could have done wouldn't have saved him."_

_ Dick took a step back slightly, tears starting to gather in his eyes._

_ "Do-do you have his body?"_

_ "It's at the cave."_

_ Soon, that was exactly where Dick found himself. He was only seventeen. He shouldn't have to be staring down at the body of his little, fourteen-year-old brother._

_ However, that was just what he was doing. The boy's eyes were closed, and his raven locks were arranged to frame his pale face._

_ His face made even paler through death._

_ Tears streamed down Dick's face as he continued looking at the cold, empty body of his brother._

_ "I-I'm sorry, Jay. I'm so, so sorry..."_

Nightwing flinched. Why couldn't he just forget?

It wasn't until Wonder Girl looked at him oddly that he realized that tears were running down his face, just like it had just last year...

"Are you okay, Nightwing?"

Dick thought before answering. He knew his sanity would not handle another loss, but Tim was a smart kid. Plus, he was just scoping out a garbage dump. Surely the boy would be fine...

"Yeah, I think I am."

As the blond turned away, Dick looked out to the sky they soared through. He was sure he saw the laughing face of his lost brother. He didn't even realize he was talking until he heard his own sore voice whisper so quietly only he could hear it.

"I'm sorry, Jay. I'll never forget you."

**There we go. Sad, Jason-related fluff. Since he's only been semi-referenced so far, I have free range over what may be canon. **

**For those that read my story Fallen Friend, I'm still completing it and will still write the sequel. I was just too distracted today to get any work on it done.  
**

**Please review, and tell me what you thought of the episode. I like it, but I'm a huge Nightwing fan, Jason was sort of referenced, and there was Tim. This instantly makes me like it, so my opinion may be slightly biased.  
**


End file.
